100-year-old commercial nursery Johnsons of Whixley has won a contract to supply Lake District hotel, Another Place, situated right on the shores of Ullswater.
Over 60 varieties of hedging, trees, herbaceous plants and shrubs will help shape ‘Outside’, a new selection of rooms and spaces at the hotel to bring guests closer to the wild, while enjoying the inspired design and interior comforts the 47-bed hotel is known for.
The project was designed by landscape architect, Laurel Truscott, who has worked on major landscape projects including the Olympic Park.
Included in the supply, which totalled a whopping 4,063 pieces, was a wide range of plants and trees, including 31 Betula jacquemonti, 275 Deschampsia ‘Goldtau’, 250 Knautia Macedonia and 315 Pennisetum Orientale.
The plants have been used across the new spaces which feature a large, contemporary treehouse with floor-to-ceiling views of the lake, six handcrafted oak and tin shepherd huts with stargazing roofs over freestanding double beds, a Victorian-style Glasshouse, and a rebuilt ‘Sheep Shed’ lakeside cabin, for warm year-round changing, showers and wetsuit drying.
Another Place, The Lake’s CEO, Will Ashworth, said: “The treehouse is one of a kind, and the biggest accommodation on offer in any of our locations.
“But the whole set – the treehouse, shepherd huts, Glasshouse and Sheep Shed – brings a new energy and buzz. We’re blending great hospitality and novel experiences with a sublime natural environment.”
Ellie Richardson, marketing manager at Johnsons, added: “This was such an exciting project for us to work on with Laurel and her team, including the hotel’s head gardener, James Cox. We were tasked with enhancing the new spaces and ensuring the ambiance and design of the hotel’s landscape flowed seamlessly into the new outside spaces.
“The plants we supplied include a range of species to create a beautifully biodiverse garden with drifts of herbaceous planting, sculpted evergreen shrubs and trees with varied seasonal interest. It has been transformed into a sanctuary of seasonal scents, shapes and colours. It’s a year-round sensory experience.”
Landscape architect, Laurel Truscott, also commented: “I chose to work with Johnsons because I prefer to use a plant supplier based in the North to ensure hardiness of plants, they have been recommended by fellow professionals too, so I knew I’d be in safe hands.
“I found the Johnsons team offered a good wholesale service, were quick to respond and sorted out any problems helpfully.
“We all worked really hard, and it’s been fun seeing it take shape. It’s gone from a bit of a quagmire to this beautifully contoured space with sweeps of grasses and shaped hedges and vertical planes with trees.
“As well as the visual look of the space, it was important to me to incorporate other senses. Wherever there’s an intersection of paths, or you cross from one threshold into another, we’ve planted gorgeous scents to elevate the experience.
“I’m always keen to minimise waste. We’ve transplanted plants we’ve dug up to use elsewhere on the site, so we aren’t losing them. I love doing that in a garden, giving plants a new lease of life rather than throwing them away. It’s been a really rewarding project.”
Johnsons of Whixley have been operating from the heart of Yorkshire for over 100 years, and have supplied plants to numerous projects across the UK, including the National Memorial Arboretum Centre, Ripon’s Grantley Hall, and Whinfell Forest, Center Parcs.
